Sheinbaum congratulates the Mexican National Team despite its elimination from the World Cup: “They gave us a lot of joy
The Mexican National Team was eliminated by England and failed to match what was achieved in the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, where they did reach the quarterfinals.
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, expressed this Monday her support for the national team after its elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the hands of England in the round of 16 and highlighted the team's performance in the tournament played partly in Mexican territory.
After the team led by Javier Aguirre fell 3-2 to England at the Mexico City Stadium, a result that put an end to both El Tri's journey and Mexico's participation as host of the World Cup, the president called for recognition of the players' efforts.
"Cheer up, the team played very well (...) they really gave us a lot of joy and they played very well. The last goal was missing, but very well they gave us all Mexicans a lot of joy," said the Mexican leader during her morning press conference.
The Mexican National Team reached the round of 16 after overcoming the group stage and beating Ecuador in the round of 32. Against England, one of the favorites for the title, the Mexican team offered one of its most competitive performances of the tournament, although it was unable to avoid falling against the European team.
The defeat marked the end of Mexico's participation in a World Cup that was especially significant for the country.
The 2026 edition represented the return of the tournament to Mexican territory four decades after the 1986 World Cup and made Mexico the first nation to host matches in three men's World Cups, after those held in 1970 and 1986.
During the tournament, Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey hosted 13 World Cup matches, including the opening match, in an organization that was presented by authorities as an opportunity to show the country's logistical, tourism and infrastructure capacity to millions of spectators around the world.
Despite the elimination, El Tri's journey generated an atmosphere of enthusiasm among Mexican fans, who accompanied the team in stadiums, public squares and fan areas installed in the host cities.
With the elimination of Mexico, England advanced to the next round of the tournament, while the host country said goodbye to the 2026 World Cup amid the recognition of its fans and the positive assessment made by the authorities about the role played both on and off the field. EFE